Klarinet Archive - Posting 000259.txt from 1997/07

From: Gary Young <gyoung@-----.com>
Subj: good music -- Adams/Helmers and Sculthorpe/Williams
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 20:42:20 -0400

I'd like to share with everyone two performances I've found especially
satisfying in the last few months, one live and one recorded.

The live performance was the United States premiere (March 22 in Madison,
Wisconsin) of John Adams' Clarinet Concerto, Gnarly Buttons, by clarinetist
Bill Helmers and Present Music (based in Milwaukee), conducted by Adams. I
generally am unmoved by Adams' music, including Shaker Loops, which was on
the same program and left me as cold as it had before. But the clarinet
concerto is stunning and so was Helmers' playing. I hope Helmers records
it. The piece has three movements, as follows:
I. The Perilous Shore
II. Hoedown (Mad Cow)
III. Put your loving arms around me
The third movement is especially fine, a single gesture that builds to an
incredible climax. If you have a chance to hear it, go.

The recorded performance is by Floyd Williams (a member of this list) of
Peter Sculthorpe's Dream Tracks (for vn, cl, p). I'm in love with
Sculthorpe's music, and also in love with Williams' performance of this
moving and lovely music. It's on a CD called Dream Tracks, Music for
Clarinet by Australian Composers. This CD is available from Move Records,
Box 266, Carlton South 3053 Australia. I couldn't find it in the US, but
Move Records promptly sent it to me. The CD has other pieces, all of them
interesting (though not to my mind as good as the Sculthorpe) and all
presented with a high level of musical skill and sensitivity.

So much for this week in Lake Wobegon.

Gary Young
Madison, Wisconsin